ROBERT SNODGRASS silenced the lippy Croats with a goal that handed Scotland a shock win in Zagreb last night.

Gordon Strachan’s men had been branded hopeless by a side ranked No.4 in the world – but Snoddy made them pay for their sneers.

His first-half strike gave the Scots a first win of their World Cup 2014 campaign and smiling Snodgrass said: “It feels good. We came here believing we could get something.

“There was loads of pride at stake, the manager gave a few boys a chance and we’re delighted with the result.”

Croatia had slated the Scots’ chances before the game with boss Igor Stimac even allowing his players a night out in the build-up.

The Norwich wideman admitted the comments were used to motivate the Scots.

Asked what Strachan had told his players he said: “He just said, ‘Everybody can play with heart, run about a lot and do things but it takes a little bit more now’.

“I think we played a good Croatia side there and got the three points and I think we could have nicked a few more goals.

“There was loads of cheap talk before the game from Croatia and we used that as motivation to go out there. Every player gave 110 per cent and that’s why we got the three points.”

Scotland went into the game ranked 74th in the world, 70 places behind Croatia, and with a much-changed team after a raft of call-offs.

The result thrilled Strachan even though our chances of making the finals had long gone.

He said: “I’m incredibly proud. There’s a lot of ability in there. Some of them don’t get a game for their club regularly, some of them have not played for a month, but they really played well.”

The former Celtic boss insisted he had no interest in whether the result would silence Scotland’s detractors.

He added: “I never want to even think about the critics. I don’t read the papers, I don’t watch the television and besides the people who actually travel with us are positive. We’ve no need to prove anybody wrong.”

Strachan insisted his heroic players could have been even better.

Asked if he thought in his wildest dreams such a result was possible Strachan said: “I wanted a performance. OK, so we went into the game thinking there was a 90 per cent chance that we weren’t going to win.

“But as the game progressed I thought if we can actually put three or four passes together we can score another.

“We lacked in that department because of a lack of fitness in some players.

“I’s a great result and we must enjoy it. But from a coaching point of view I look at it and there are one or two things we would like to brush up on.

“I don’t know if this is a foundation for something. All it is right now is something to make us happy for a while and to feel good about ourselves because I think sometimes we take the defeats really badly.

“But the players can feel good about themselves again and hopefully there is a spring in their step for the next game. I would hope it gives the country a bit of pride back because that’s what this is all about.”

Strachan spoke only to the Scottish written Press after calling an abrupt end to the after-match media conference following an angry exchange with a Croatian journalist who demanded his answers be translated in full before he could continue.

But a spiky Strachan said: “Oi! It’s not your press conference it’s mine, alright. I don’t care what you like – this is what we want to do.

“It’s not often we get a result like this so we’re going to enjoy it. Calm down all right.”